It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Winter Fete
by theorganasolo
Summary: Han and Leia playfully argue over when it's the right time to start celebrating Winter Fete.


It had been a long day for Leia Organa. While the Empire had fallen a year ago, there were still remnants of it present throughout the galaxy. Leia was constantly traveling to different planets to try and convince them to join the New Republic, and when she wasn't away on trip she was delegating meetings or arguing with other government officials. So as Leia entered the building that she lived in with Han on Coruscant, all she wanted to do was relax on the couch with Han, order take-out, and maybe get to some _other_ activities as the night went on.

 _Han_ , Leia mused to herself, stepping onto the elevator, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. That had been a welcome change in her life. After Endor, Leia knew without a doubt that she wanted to be with her smuggler. But she was afraid. Afraid of what he would say after she revealed to him that Vader was her father. The man who had killed her family, tortured her loved ones, including Han. So she braced herself when she got the words out: _Vader is my father_. She had expected Han to walk away and never look back. And could she blame him? But he had surprised her, gathered Leia up in his arms and told her it would be okay. That this piece of information didn't change how he felt about her, how he loved her. They would figure out the rest together, and they had! Han helped train military recruits part time while also doing supply runs for the New Republic. It lets him be home with Leia every night, except when he does supply runs to far away planets, and has to be gone for several days. But Leia always makes the welcome home worth his while.

Leia was still lost in her thoughts when she stepped off the elevator on the 88th floor. What she wasn't expecting to hear were the echoes of the song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Winter Fete" coming from her apartment. Wrinkling her nose, Leia keyed herself in and walked into her home, to see quite a sight. The walls were lined with strings of light and a smell of peppermint was coming from the kitchen. As she walked further in and the living room came into view a large, green, pine tree was up, though still bare. And the holiday music was still playing, now "Rockin' around the Fete Tree."

"What the kriff?" was all Leia could sputter out.

Suddenly, the scoundrel in charge of all this came around the corner holding boxes full of ornaments.

"Sweetheart! I thought you would be home later!" Han set down the boxes by the fireplace, and strode up to Leia, pressing their lips together before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"My afternoon meetings were...cancelled," Leia replied, still dazed.

"That means you can help me decorate the tree!"

"Han," Leia positioned herself so she was standing in front of him, "Do you have any idea what day it is?"

"'Course I do, 'it's Friday."

"Correction, it's Friday, and it's nowhere near Winter Fete!"

"Aw Leia, Winter Fete is right around the corner, there's no reason we can't start decorating for it now."

"Han, Winter Fete is six weeks away! That's way too early to be decorating or listening to Winter Fete music, we haven't even celebrated Give Thanks Day yet!"

"Details, details." Han walked away and went into the kitchen, "You want some hot chocolate?"

"Han I'm being serious here."

"So am I! You better drink some now. I invited the Kid over tonight and you know how he gets with hot chocolate, so drink up before it's all gone!"

"May I ask where you got a pine tree this early in the year?"

"You know when I told you I had a supply run on Naboo yesterday?"

Leia already knew where this was going, and said with a smirk, "Yes."

"Yeah, Chewie and I went to Endor instead to get this tree!"

"You dragged Chewie into your early holiday shenanigans?"

"Lighten up sweetheart! Don't think I didn't see you smiling when you walked in the house."

"Han it's very sweet, but there is a time and a place for Winter Fete decorations, and that is when we enter the month that Winter Fete is celebrated."

A confused look crossed over Han's face before he spoke, "So the holos are wrong?"

Now Leia was equally confused, "What holos?"

"The holos on that sappy channel you like watching, with the cheesy films."

Leia bit back a grin, "Han, have you been watching The Hallmark Channel?"  
 _Oh kriff Solo_ , _way to embarrass yourself_ Han thought to himself.

"Well, you see...uh…"

"Aw flyboy, it's okay. I guess I'll just have to tell the Rogues that you like to snuggle up by the fire with Chewie and watch sappy Fete movies," Leia joked, laughing to herself.

"I don't snuggle up with Chewie by the fire!"

"You better not," Leia wagged her finger at him, "I'm your only cuddle buddy Mr. Solo."

Han drew Leia up against him, before whispering, "I better be your only cuddle buddy," and gave her a searing kiss. Leia felt her knees buckle, and a pool of warmth start to form in her stomach, before remembering the point of the conversation. Reluctantly pulling away from Han and ending the kiss, she drew a confused look from him.

"As nice as this is Han, can you please tell me why you were watching Hallmark holos? I know you prefer smashball to anything like that.

Han sighed, "Fine, but don't make fun of me."

"No promises."

"I guess that's the best I'm going to get from you. Well the other night when we were going through your family albums before bed, your old home on Alderaan was decorated for Fete and you said how it was your favorite holiday to celebrate with your family."

Leia got that look on her face whenever Alderaan got brought up. She could hide the grief pretty well, but not from Han, or those who truly cared about her.

"Leia are you okay? I probably shouldn't have brought that up, I'm sorry, I-"

"No, no please go on. You're absolutely right, Winter Fete was our favorite holiday to spend together when I was little."

Taking her hand, Han continued, "Well the next day, I called Carlist to see what Fete traditions you guys did on Alderaan. And he mentioned the decorating, baking cookies, listening to holiday music, and how you and your mom would watch the Hallmark channel. So I thought if I watched it, I'd get some good ideas on how to celebrate the holiday correctly, and in all the holos they always put up the decorations early, but I guess that's wrong, I don't..um...have a long history with Winter Fete."

At this moment Leia felt horrible. She of course knew that Han grew up on the streets of Corellia for a period of time before smuggling, and hadn't had the same experiences that she had growing up on Alderaan. Winter Fete was something she neglected to take into account, why would Han have celebrated?

"Oh Han, I'm so sorry, here you were trying to make this a special holiday for the two of us, and all I've done is yell at you."

"It's alright, you didn't know."

"No, it's not okay. And I really appreciate you doing this, even if it is very early," Leia joked.

"My mother always used to celebrate Winter Fete early too, and it drove my father crazy, but he always went along with it, and so can I."

"Really?" Han had this dopey grin on his face, eyes sparkling.

"Of course! Next year, let me know when you start decorating though so I can help you! It's part of the fun."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think this through all too well," Han laughed.

"That's what you've got me for."

"Forever and always."

"And don't you forget it!" Leia drew in Han for an embrace before he pulled away with a questioning look on his face.

"So….does this mean we can decorate the tree?"

Leia laughed, "Sure flyboy, but first there's one thing we have to do before that."

Leia began digging through the boxes, muttering Alderaanian curses before she pulled out a small green plant with fake red fruit attached to it.

"This is a Winter Fete tradition I've never been able to celebrate, but now I have you!"

"What's that?"

"You'll see."

Leia placed the mistletoe above the entryway to the living room before nodding to herself and looking at Han, a devious look on her face.

"Come here you, stand under the mistletoe with me!"

Han obliged, a confused look on his face, "A mistle what?"

"A mistletoe! When two people stand under it, they have to kiss, it's-"

"Say no more sweetheart. I have a feeling that this is a tradition I'll be very good at."

With that Han gathered up Leia in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Let's carry this tradition to the bedroom, shall we?"

Leia nodded enthusiastically before giving out a yelp as Han picked her up and carried her to their bedroom laughing.

 _Now this is a tradition I don't mind celebrating early_ Leia mused.


End file.
